Key takeaways
- Veterans experiencing severe migraine attacks that significantly impair their daily functioning may qualify for disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA uses the term “prostrating migraine” to identify these debilitating episodes, which often require the individual to rest in a dark, quiet environment.
- The level of disability benefits received is determined by a VA disability rating, with a 50% rating being the highest solely for chronic migraine. However, a combined rating can be higher if migraine is linked to another service-related disability.
- While the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not consider migraine a stand-alone qualifying condition for disability, individuals may still receive SSA benefits if their migraine is a symptom of another recognized disability or if their migraine symptoms are medically equivalent to those of an analogous condition, such as epilepsy.
Have you ever experienced a migraine so severe that it left you lying in a dark room, incapacitated, recovering for hours? If so, you’ve likely experienced what’s known as a “prostrating migraine” — a type of migraine that can leave people completely debilitated.
Interestingly, “prostrating” isn’t a medical term used to classify or diagnose migraine episodes. But if you’re applying for disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for chronic migraine, it’s important to become familiar with what the term means.
Below, we share more about what a prostrating migraine is, what the symptoms look like, and how people with chronic migraine symptoms may qualify for disability benefits through the VA.
Migraine symptoms can vary in type and severity, but there are four primary stages of a migraine that cause symptoms:
- Prodrome: This stage usually begins 1 to 2 days before the migraine attack and can cause symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, food cravings, and depression.
- Aura: This stage affects some people with migraine and causes visual, movement, speech, and sensation-related symptoms. In some cases, aura can occur without pain. It may happen before the prodrome stage, during the prodrome stage, or during the headache stage.
- Headache stage: This stage can cause symptoms such as pulsing, throbbing, or pounding pain. Some people may also experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and increased light and sound sensitivity.
- Postdrome: This stage occurs after the headache stage and can symptoms such as emotional changes and dull head pain.
Prostrating migraine episodes can cause any number of the symptoms above, but the defining feature is that the pain and exhaustion of a prostrating migraine are severe and debilitating.
When the VA is deciding whether someone is eligible for disability benefits, it assigns a disability rating.
VA disability ratings
A disability rating from the VA not only determines whether someone can receive benefits but also the benefit amount they receive each month.
For example, if you receive a 50% disability rating, you will receive more benefits than if you receive a 10% disability rating. This is because the rating reflects the severity of the disability.
If you receive multiple disability ratings for different conditions, the VA will combine the ratings. It’s important to note that your combined rating may differ from the sum of your individual ratings added together. The VA provides more information about how it determines your combined disability rating.
The term “prostrate” means to stretch out flat on the ground. A prostrating migraine is a severe migraine that causes a person extreme pain, weakness, and exhaustion. People who experience prostrating migraine symptoms often find themselves needing to lie down in a dark and quiet room.
When you’re applying for VA disability benefits because of chronic migraine, the agency uses the term prostrating to determine if your migraine symptoms are severe enough to qualify for benefits.
According to the VA, there are four disability ratings that you can receive:
- 50% disability rating: You experience migraine episodes “with very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.”
- 30% disability rating: You experience prostrating migraine attacks roughly once per month over the last several months.
- 10% disability rating: You experience prostrating migraine attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months.
- 0% disability rating: You experience prostrating migraine episodes less frequently than every few months.
If you’re applying for VA disability benefits solely for chronic migraine, 50% is the highest disability rating that you can receive. This determines how much disability you will receive. However, if your migraine episodes are a symptom of another service-based disability, your combined rating may be higher than 50%.
Chronic migraine is one of the most commonly reported disabilities in military veterans. In a
If you’re a veteran who experiences prostrating migraine attacks, you may qualify for disability benefits through the VA. When applying for benefits, you’ll need to share details about your condition, including your diagnosis, medical history, and frequency and severity of your symptoms.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
You may also qualify for disability benefits for migraine through the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, the eligibility requirements are different.
Under the SSA, migraine headaches are not a qualifying condition for disability benefits on their own. However, if you have severe migraine, it may be related to or a symptom of another condition that is a qualifying disability.
Some of the other migraine-related conditions that might qualify for SSA benefits include:
Your migraine symptoms may also qualify for SSA benefits if they “medically equal” an analogous listing, such as epilepsy.
With both forms of disability, you’ll need to submit medical documentation proving that your migraine episodes are so severe that you cannot sustain employment because of them.
Treatment is essential not only to reduce the frequency and severity of chronic migraine but also to help prevent them.
Medications are an effective first-line treatment for prostrating migraine attacks and can include:
- Over-the-counter pain medications: Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, can help reduce pain symptoms during a migraine attack. However, experts advise caution to not overuse OTC medications as these can
make headaches worse . - Prescription pain medications: When OTC medications do not work, prescription pain medications can offer stronger pain relief for prostrating migraine symptoms.
- Prescription preventive medications: Some people with chronic migraine symptoms also benefit from taking preventive medications to reduce the frequency of their migraine attacks.
- Self-care strategies: While your instinct may be to hold still, movement and self-care can help bring relief. You can try gentle stretching, a shower or hot bath, and muscle tension relief techniques like Gua Sha massage to help ease migraine pain and nauseous feelings.
Another important treatment approach for prostrating migraine attacks is learning what triggers your attacks and working diligently to avoid them. Some of these triggers might include:
- certain foods and drinks
- hormonal changes
- stress and anxiety
- not getting enough sleep
- not eating or drinking enough
- strenuous exercise
- temperature or environmental changes
Cost and coverage for prostrating migraine episodes
Most health insurance plans offer prescription drug coverage that covers the basics when it comes to prescription medications for migraine episodes. If you have a diagnosis of chronic migraine, it’s likely that your plan will offer some sort of medication coverage.
Several off-label and experimental treatment options may also help treat chronic migraine. However, insurance companies don’t typically cover these options unless you can prove that other treatments haven’t been effective.
The cost and coverage of treating prostrating migraine symptoms can vary, depending on the
Many people live with migraine symptoms that are so severe they cause significant disability in their daily lives. One of the qualifying conditions for receiving Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits for migraine is experiencing frequent and debilitating prostrating migraine attacks.
If you’re a veteran who experiences severe migraine episodes that make employment difficult, there is help. Consider reaching out to your doctor and the VA to discuss whether you may qualify for benefits.